Liu Yaozong leaned closer, speaking conspiratorially, "I know you hate Xia Yiran. To be honest, I can't stand her either! I've hated her since we were kids!"
Xia Wei Liang glanced at him, "So what, can you kill her?"
"That won't do! It's against the law! But, if I could replace her, claim I was the child who was accidentally swapped back then. Once the Xia family acknowledges me, she'll be out of the picture!"
Xia Wei Liang eyed him, then nodded with mock seriousness, "So, you're saying the Xia family are as dim-witted as you, unable to even figure out the age of their own child."
Liu Yaozong waved it off dismissively, "Just change the ID card!"
Xia Wei Liang froze, asking, "How did you even manage to infiltrate human society?"
With that kind of brainpower, he wanted to replace Xia Yi Ran?
She'd have him figured out and toyed with in minutes!
Outside the window, a white van slowly pulled over to the side of the road.
The man inside looked up, about to withdraw his gaze, but then his eyes locked.
Through the coffee shop's floor-to-ceiling windows, he saw a captivating figure seated with her back to him, wearing a simple white t-shirt and a form-fitting short skirt, her long legs casually and elegantly crossed.
Her long hair was loosely tied up in a bun, and a pair of C brand earrings were her only adornment.
Even without turning her head, the person in the car recognized her at a glance.
"Brother Jun's appointment is at three this afternoon. Before that, there's a small fan meeting..."
Yan Zhi was about to say more when Xiao Yi pushed the door open and got out.
"Huh? Brother Yi, where are you going?"
"To get a coffee."
"Oh, you can just leave small things like this to me..."
The ground floor of Meiyu Media Building housed self-operated businesses, ensuring top-notch security, so there was no need to worry about being followed or pestered by paparazzi.
Xiao Yi, dressed in a sapphire blue shirt and tailored trousers, drew all eyes as he walked into the coffee shop.
"Oh my god, it's Yi Shen!"
"It's Xiao Yi! It's Xiao Yi!"
"Goodness, he's so handsome! I'm doomed, I'm doomed! He's walking towards me, I can't breathe! Call an ambulance!"
Both the servers and the Meiyu artists were ecstatic.
Xiao Yi slipped one hand into his trouser pocket, removed his sunglasses with the other, and his peripheral vision casually swept across a corner.
Then, he raised an eyebrow.
Engrossed in conversation with someone, she lowered her head and smiled coyly, seemingly unaware of his arrival.
Completely, utterly, absolutely unaware!
The man's lips thinned into a straight line. His seemingly casual gaze shifted to the opposite side.
It was a young man.
Judging by his age, he looked no older than twenty, and his appearance...
He looked human.
The only redeeming quality, perhaps, was the abundance of collagen in his face.
Heh.
She liked that type, did she?
No wonder she was so frantically clarifying rumors about him on the show. She was afraid of being dragged down with him!
"Brother Yi... Wh-what kind of coffee do you like?"
The young woman at the counter blushed furiously.
"Americano."
Xia Wei Liang had genuinely not noticed anyone enter, but Song Yuan had already spotted him.
She leaned towards Xia Wei Liang and whispered, "Xiao Yi."
"Who?"
Xia Wei Liang was sensitive to this name now. He had spoken up for her twice. If it weren't for Yi Mi's efficient fan control, his stellar reputation, and the fact that the official accounts seemed to have pre-arranged to completely ignore Yi Da Shen's retweet, who knew what kind of rumors would have spread about her!
But Xia Wei Liang knew in her heart that after studying human anatomy all night, ignoring their connection was impossible.
Xia Wei Liang subtly shifted her body, then quietly picked up her hat from the chair and placed it on her head.
Well, she shouldn't be visible now.
"...So, let alone conquering humanity, my next step is to go to outer space..."
Liu Yaozong was still boasting when he suddenly stopped.
In his line of sight were a pair of white casual shoes with pure black accents, and impeccably tailored straight-leg suit trousers...
She slowly raised her head and smiled brilliantly at the newcomer, "Teacher Xiao, what a coincidence! Are you here to buy coffee too?"
Xiao Yi, holding his Americano takeaway, glanced at her expressionlessly, without speaking, only raising the corner of his lips slightly.
Xia Wei Liang: "..."
What, did he come over just to give her a chance to grovel?
She sat awkwardly, not knowing whether to stand or sit, making eye contact with him, her toes practically digging out the Arc de Triomphe.
"Is th-th-th-that Xiao Yi?"
Liu Yaozong finally found his voice, his excitement rendering him incoherent, "It is him! It is him!"
Song Yuan, a sharp kid since childhood, walked over, hooked her arm around his neck, and guided him towards the door.
"Come on, tell me about your 'Storm Revival' thing. I'm quite interested."
"Ah! Really?"
Hearing this, Liu Yaozong's spirit was immediately reignited. He launched into another effusive speech, from the origin of humanity to sleeping and dreaming.
Xiao Yi's cold gaze swept over, then quickly retracted, "Director Zhou's film is missing a supporting actress. She's a fighter, needs to be agile."
Was he... preemptively revealing spoilers?
Xia Wei Liang was not ungrateful. She was deeply appreciative of those who had helped her in her time of need. So, she immediately said seriously, "Thank you, Teacher Xiao. I will prepare thoroughly."
At this moment, some fans approached, wanting a photo with him. Xiao Yi glanced at Xia Wei Liang and, for the first time, refused the fans' request. However, he did give out autographed photos.
But this couldn't stop the discreetly snapped photos from appearing on fans' social media. Astute individuals noticed Xia Wei Liang in the pictures. Coupled with the previous photo incident on Orange Channel and his current defense of her, who would believe there was nothing between them?
[No way??? Ahhhh! Brother, how could you betray me?]
[That awards ceremony, Xiao Yi left from a nearby hotel early the next morning. You know who else was there?]
[It's shameful to be coy... shameful to be coy...]
[Could it be that 'Iron Lady' Xia?!]
[I heard from a friend working at that hotel that Xia Wei Liang was indeed there that day! You can figure it out, think about it carefully!]
[Honestly, Xia Wei Liang is completely my aesthetic! How can someone be so beautiful? Is she a little fairy?]
[I get why Da Shen spoke up for her! There's something going on! It's a shame for Da Shen though.]
[Heh... a fly doesn't bite a seedless egg. If Yi Shen didn't want to give her a chance, would Xia Wei Liang even be a factor?]
[I'm a fan of Xia Wei Liang's looks! The two of them together is simply a feast for the eyes!]
[Heh, sour grapes are plentiful every year, but there are especially many this year! Heh, your movie star doesn't like Miss Xia, but likes you, alright?]
Yi Xiao Entertainment.
Lian Jun lay back in his chair, holding a chest protector over his heart.
"Oh, my heart~"
"Oh, my heart hurts so much~"
"One by one, their wings have grown strong. Are they trying to rebel!"
Yan Zhi fanned him vigorously, "Brother Jun, Brother Jun, don't get anxious. Think about your Andy, and you won't want to leave!"
Lian Jun, furious, threw the chest protector at him, "Leave? Leave where?!"
Across from him, Xiao Yi appeared relaxed. He opened his eyes and glanced at Lian Jun, "Since you can't shut other people's mouths, there's no need to pay attention."
"Not pay attention? Ha, you want me not to pay attention?"
Lian Jun put his hands on his hips and approached Xiao Yi, "Advertisements, magazines, movies... do you know how many calls I received this morning? And I had to patiently explain to all these 'fathers': our Yi Ge is single, he doesn't have a girlfriend, those are all rumors, our Yi Ge has absolutely no relationship with Xia Wei Liang!!"
He then glared at Xiao Yi, "That hotel incident, you'd better forget it! Don't mention it again from now on!"
Xiao Yi pursed his lips, his dark eyes lifted, and suddenly he spoke, "What if I can't forget?"